Crib



4Patented Aug. 9,1921.

R. P. WHITON.

CRI-B.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I4, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERTKR WHITON, OF UTICA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HASSELBARTH-WHITON' C0.,'INC., 0F UTICA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

` CRIB.

To all whom itfmag/ concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT I). WHITON, of Utica, in the county of neida, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cribs,`of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description. i

This invention relates to certain improvements in childrens bedsteads commonly known as cribs involving the use of vertically sliding side therefor, and refers more particularly to the means for locking and releasing said sliding side. f

In cribs of this character in which the vertical adjustability of one of the sides enables the nurse or other attendant to lift the child into and out of the crib and to perform other duties to the child inthe crib with greater conveniencethan would be possible if the sides were rigid, and in view of the fact that frequently both hands of the attendant are occupied in the care of the` child it is not always possible to use either hand for the release and adjustment of the movable side. v

Furthermore, in cribs of this character so far as I am aware the tripping and adjust-- ing means for the slidable side are operated by hand and are frequently low down or toward sthe bottom of the crib, which requires the attendant to assume a more or less bent or sitting posturein order to make the necessary adjustment.

The main object'of my invention is to provide simple means whereby the locking device for the movable'side may be released by the foot of the attendant to enable said sideto drop automatically to its lowermost position.

Another.' object is to support the sliding side independently of the mattress support- Other objectsand uses relating tov specific specification of Letters Patent.

Application led February 14, 1920. `Serial No; 358,708.

parts of thej bedstead willbev brought out in the following description.

In the drawings kFigure l is a side elevation of a crib embodying the featuresy of my invention, the movable side being indicated by dotted lines in its lowermost position.

F 1g. 2V is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken online 2,-.-2 Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the crib shown in F ig. l.

Fig. 4 is an enlargedinner face view of a portion of the mattress supporting frame and one end of the mechanism for locking and vreleasing the movable side.

Fig.` 5 is an enlarged detail sectional View di taken on line 5 5 Fig. 3.

Asillustrated this crib comprisesva sub stantially rectangular mattress Vsupporting frame -1`-, Vopposite side sections -2- and f as a whole may be moved along and upon a floor.

The mattress supporting frame- 1- may be of any desired construction, but is preferably composed of opposite side and end rails of angle iron rigidly'secured together at the corners by couplings -5-`, sov as to form a unitary structure. f Y n The end sections `-3' are substantially identical in construction, each consisting in this instance 'of a U-shaped metal tube forming the top rails and corner posts of the crib, the casters being attached to the lower ends ofthe corner posts.

The posts of each end section are connected near their` lower ends by cross rails 6- some distance above, the casters andbelow the frame -l-,'the cross rails p-6 being connected to the top rail by vertical tubes 7- in uniformly spaced relation.

The corner posts of' the end sections are provided withbrackets -8 secured to the inner face thereoffby rivets or bolts -9- and extended transverselytoward eachother from the sides for receiving and supporting the adjacent corners of the frame 1-.

For this purpose the couplings -5-r are provided with outwardly' projecting threaded studs 10- extending through apertures -11- in the brackets `8- and engaged by thumb nuts --12--^ which permit the frame -1'- to be attached to or removed from the remaining portion ofthe crib without disconnecting the end sections from the side sections.

These studs -10- also constitute pivots, one pair at each side, upon either pair of which the frame -lmay be rocked from a horizontal to a substantially vertical position as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, by simply removing the thumb nuts 12- at the opposite side of the crib and springing the adjacent side of the end section outwardly a sufficient distance to disengage the brackets -8- from the corresponding studs.

One of the side sections as -2- is rigidly secured to the adjacent posts of the end sections, while the other side section as 2- is slidable vertically and for this purpose the adjacent upright posts of the end sections are provided at their inner sides with vertical guide rods -13- extending from points near the lower ends of said posts to points near their upper ends, the lower and upper ends being secured to said posts, while the intervening parts are spaced apart therefrom. Each side section -preferably consists of lower and upper horizontal and substantially parallel tubes in vertically spaced relation connected to each other by intervening tubes 1lialso in equally spaced relation.

The opposite ends of the lower and upper rails of the vertically movable side section -2-'-' are provided with eyes -15- for receiving the guide rods -13- and permitting said side section to slide vertically on the guide rods, it being understood that the vertical height of the side sections is considerably less than the vertical length of the guide rods 13, between their points of attachment with adjacent posts -3- as clearly shown in Fig. -1-.

The frame 1- is wholly within the main frame of the crib formed by the side and end sections, leaving suiicient clearance for the vertical movement of the side section -2- without interference therewith.

The connections between the lower and upper ends of the guide rods -13- and adjacent posts -3- constitute stops for limiting the vertical movement of the said section -2- which is normally held in itsuppermost position by suitable mechanism presently described.

This mechanism preferabl consists of a pair of pawls -16- pivote at one end at -17- toa U-shaped rocking bar or bail *18- which in turn has its opposite kends pivoted at -19- to suitable brackets -20- on the inner side of the adjacent lengthwise rail of the frame 1- A pair of detents -21- are also mounted upon the pivots -19- near the ends of the rocking bar l8- and are provided with seats '-22- upon which the adjacent pawls -16-' normally rest. These pawls -l6- extend outwardly from their pivots -17-4 and normally engage the lower Jface of the lower rail of the vertical movable side -2- to hold the latter in its uppermost position but may be drawn inwardly from beneath the said side by simply rocking the bar -18- inwardly, it being understood that the pawls 1G- are pivoted to the opposite arms of the rocking members -18- some distance below their pivots -19-.

These pawls are located near the ends of the sliding trame -2- and therefore the lower portion of the bar 1S- extends the entire distance between the pawls to permit it to be rocked inwardly by the foot of the operator at any point along the crib for tripping the pawls -16- and releasing the movable side -2-, thus permitting the latter to drop to its lowermost position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The longitudinally extending portion of the bar -18 is normal in a pla-ne below the lower rail of the vertically movable side Q where it is readily accessible for operation .by hand or foot tor tripping both pawls *4G- Y y As a further means for shifting the bar -18- to trip the pawls -16- the longitudinally extending portion of the bar -18- is provided with an outwardly projecting foot `piece or handle 23 which extends outwardly above and beyond the lower rail of the movable section when the latter is in its uppermost` position where it may be readily engaged by the foot of the operator to assist in forcing the frame 2- downwardly when said Jframe is released. Y

In operation, assuming that the sliding side is in its uppermost position and held in that position by the pawls -16-, then if it is desired to lower said side it issimply necessary to press the foot upon the free end ot the arm -23-, which will rock the bar -18 inwardly Vand upwardly thereby withdrawing the pawls --16-` from their holding positions beneath the-lower rail of thev side section and permitting the side section to drop to its lowermost position as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1 without any further effort on the part of the operator.

As soon as the lower rail of the movable side passes the pawls in its downward movement, the rocking member -18- with the pawls thereon will return to their normal positions, the pawls entering between the upright slats or tubes 1/1 Now, in restoring the movable-side, it is simply necessary to lift it along the guide rods -13--, during which operation the lower rail will engage the under side of and axis -17. until they are free fromengagement with said lower rail by the continued lupward movement of the side section, whereupon they will automatically drop into enlift the free ends of the pawls about their gagement with their seats -22- beneath the lower rail ready to be engaged thereby for holding thev side section in its'uppermost position.

What I claim is 1. In a crib of the character described, the combination of a mattress-,supporting frame, corner-posts supporting said frame, upright side sections at opposite sides of the frame, one of said sections being movable vertically, guides for the vertically movable section, a bail extending lengthwise of and in a planey some distance below the lower edge of the vertically movable section when the latter is elevated, and provided with up-turned ends hinged to the adjacent side of the frame to swing about a horizontal axis tow-ard and from said vertically movable side-section, pawls pivoted to the up-turned ends of the bail and normally extendingk under the lower edge of the vertically movable side-section to support the same in its elevated position, and devices for supporting said pawls against downward swinging movement and for permitting them to swing upwardly, the upper faces of `said pawls which engage the lower edge of the vertically movable section being substantially fiat and straight to permit them to be withdrawn inwardly by the inward rocking movement of the bail without lifting the vertically movable Side-section therefrom, said bail extending downwardly a suiicient distance below the lower edge of the vertically movable section to permit it to be engaged by the foot or hand of the operator at any point in its length when said side-section is elevated and resting upon the pawls.

2. In a crib of the character described, the combination of a mattress-supporting frame, upright corner-posts supporting said frame, said crib having avertically movable sidesection at the outer side of said frame, a bail extending lengthwise of and some distance below the lower edge of said side-Section when the latter is elevated for engagement by the foot of the operator, and provided with upeturned ends pivoted to said frame, said vertically movable side-section being provided with a rail along its lower edge, pawls pivoted to the up-turned ends ,of the bail and normally extending under said rail, devices for holding said pawls against downward swinging movement and permitting them to swing upwardly, and an arm secured to said bail and extending upwardly and outwardly over the upper side of said rail for engagement by the foot or hand of the operator-to rock the bail inwardly and thereby to withdraw the pawls from engagement with the underside of the rail, said arm also serving to engage the top of the rail to assist in starting the side-section downwardly when the pawls are withdrawn by inward movement of the bail.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 6th day of February, 1920;

ROBERT P. WHITON. 

